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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Ribbed Cocoon-maker and Leaf Blotch Miner Moths (Gracillarioidea) » Leaf Blotch Miner Moths (Gracillariidae) » Phyllocnistinae » Phyllocnistis » Phyllocnistis hyperpersea - Hodges#0845.1 (Phyllocnistis hyperpersea)
Photo#628885
Red Bay Leaf Miner - Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Copyright © 2012 Tony DeSantis

Red Bay Leaf Miner - Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Dismal Swamp State Park, Camden County, North Carolina, USA
April 11, 2012
Found/plucked off of Red Bay (Persea palustris). I did find an similar image through Google, but no ID for the leaf miner.
(Tics under leaf are 1 cm. marks.)
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Contributed by Tony DeSantis on 11 April, 2012 - 6:47pm
Last updated 14 August, 2015 - 5:07pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
Just last year Davis & Wagner described three North American Phyllocnistis species that mine in Persea, and if this is one of the described species, it seems to be P. hyperpersea. If you have other examples it would be useful to see those.
… Charley Eiseman, 11 April, 2012 - 10:15pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Charley!
I'll look around for more examples and post them. Out of curiousity, how does this one differ from the other two species?
… Tony DeSantis, 12 April, 2012 - 7:12am login or register to post comments

 
Differences
You can check out the paper (with illustrations) here, but here's my synopsis:

Phyllocnistis hyperpersea - almost always on upper side of leaf; relatively broad, dark brownish, median frass trail; pupation in a circular nidus, away from the leaf edge; found from Florida to Virginia; was common at Dismal Swamp in 1974 (not visited since then)

Phyllocnistis subpersea - usually on underside of leaf; dark median frass trail; pupation in a slightly enlarged, elliptical chamber along a leaf edge; confirmed from Florida; mines apparently belonging to this species found as far north as SC

Phyllocnistis longipalpa - on underside of leaf, similar to P. subpersea; only known from Florida
… Charley Eiseman, 12 April, 2012 - 7:48am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
I was thinking I could keep an eye out for the other two, but it appears I'm out of there ranges.
… Tony DeSantis, 12 April, 2012 - 7:59am login or register to post comments

 
Apparently
But it's worth looking, since all are found on the same host plant. Also, it would be nice to see a fresher example.
… Charley Eiseman, 12 April, 2012 - 8:01am login or register to post comments

 
I'll keep looking
I'd be happy to find a leaf with the caterpillar within and try to be able to photograph the adult.
… Tony DeSantis, 12 April, 2012 - 8:04am login or register to post comments

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